THE CASE FOR THE SAFETY NOSE
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Long-time long-nose lorry advocate Scania added a new twist to the story in 2003 when it proposed adding a 600mm “deformable crash-zone” to a cab-over tractor, claiming it could save up to 900 lives a year on European roads. The safety-nose, consisting of a collapsible honeycomb structure and energy-absorbing frame, would raise the survivable collision speed in a head-on crash between a truck and a passenger car from 56km/h to 90 km/h. Not surprisingly, EU length laws scuppered the idea, though Scania insisted: “Changing the legislation to permit extra length and weight for trucks with a crashzone would encourage truck operators to invest in increased protection for other road users.”